


I Will Follow You

by space_angel



Series: Into the Dark [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-16
Updated: 2013-10-17
Packaged: 2017-12-29 13:44:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1006138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/space_angel/pseuds/space_angel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With the angels fallen and Heaven in shambles, Kevin, Casiel and the Winchester brothers search for answers on how to save the world once again. When Kevin finds a spell in the angel tablet that could be the answer to all their prayers, it could also be Sam's chance to reconnect with someone he loved and lost. But will they be able to complete the trials, or will the cost be too much?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Spell

**Author's Note:**

> This is part two of the Into the Dark series. The title is inspired by I Will Follow You Into the Dark by Death Cab for Cutie. All mistakes are my own. Enjoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You do not need to have read Time and Space (the first part of the Into the Dark series) in order to read this one.

Kevin rubbed his eyes, then looked at the clock. It was well past midnight. Sam and Dean had gone to bed not too long ago, telling him to do the same. Yet, here he still sat with the angel tablet. Dean had said they were family, and since then, he’d come to fear letting them down. He turned his attention back to the tablet. For the next half hour he read line upon line, with nothing useful jumping out. Then, just as he was getting ready to turn in for the night, he read something that made him stop. He read the line again.

 

“Whoa, Kevin, slow down. I just got up,” Dean said, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

“Dean, this is important. Do you want to hear it or not?” Kevin said.

With a sigh, Dean sat down and look at him, “Alright, shoot.”

“I was reading the angel tablet last night after you guys went to bed,” Kevin started.

“Wait,” Dean lifted a hand, “How late were you up? Kevin, you need to rest or you’re going to make yourself sick again.”

“You’re not my mom Dean,” Kevin snapped. They sat in an awkward silence for a minute.

“Alright, what did you find?” Dean asked.

“I found a spell,” Kevin said, “Apparently, God thought that if all the archangels were gone, Heaven would fall into ruin.”

“Right, which it kind of did,” Dean said.

“Yeah, so God left this spell that could revive an archangel,” Kevin said.

“What?” Dean and Kevin turned to see Sam in the doorway, his mouth hanging open, “You found a spell to revive an archangel?” Sam asked.

Kevin nodded, “It’s kind of complicated though. I don’t know if we’d even be able to do the first task.”

Sam walked up to him and grabbed him firmly on the shoulder, “Kevin, tell me what the trials are and I’ll do them. Please, what are they?”

Dean stood up, “Sam, take it easy.”

He didn’t even look at Dean, his eyes locked on Kevin’s, “Please,” he whispered.

“For the first trial, you have to find something that contains grace,” Kevin said.

“Grace?”

“Yeah, you need something that has angel grace,” Kevin repeated, “What’s all of this about?”

Sam acted as though he hadn’t heard the question. He headed off towards the back room without bothering to change or eat. Kevin waited until he was gone then turned to Dean, who ran a hand over his face and walked back over to where he’d left his coffee, “Don’t worry about it, Kevin,” he said, “I’ll take care of Sammy, you just find out what the next two trials are, okay?”

“Dean,” they turned to see Castiel sitting in a chair off to one side.

“When did you…” Dean trialed off.

Cas stood and walked up to stand in front of Dean, “The archangels, most of them wanted to bring about the apocalypse. They may still try to pursue that end. I believe we should proceed with caution.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t think that’s the case with the one Sam has in mind,” Dean said.

“Sam has an archangel in mind? Which one?” Cas asked.

Dean set his mug down and turn to Cas. He drew him in and kissed him long and hard. Kevin cleared his throat. When they parted, Dean rested his forehead against Cas’s, “You know, if something ever happened to you, I would do anything to get you back.”

“I know,” Cas said.

“Well, I think it’s the same for Sam this time,” Dean said. When Cas gave him a puzzled look, Dean said, “Please, Cas, just trust me on this.”

“I trust you, Dean,” he said.

“Alright,” Dean said, and headed off after Sam.

 

Sam already had a large stack of books in his arms, and he was currently reading one perched precariously on the top. He didn’t even look at Dean when he entered, so Dean said, “Sammy?”

“Yeah,” Sam said absentmindedly.

“This is about him, isn’t it?” Dean asked.

Sam look up and met Dean’s gaze, “Yeah, it is,” he said, a challenging look in his eyes.

“Alright, then let’s do it,” Dean said.

“What?” Sam asked, “I thought you hated him?”

Dean smiled wryly, “Sam, Gabriel was a dick, but you loved him, and I get the feeling you still do, so if there’s a way to bring him back, then I’m all in.”

Sam smiled, his eyes distant, as though he were remembering something, and he said, “Thanks Dean.”


	2. Take a Bow

“It says here that grace is usually contained within a living host, but can be drawn out or imbued into items,” Sam said.

“Imbued how?” Dean asked.

“Well, it can either be intentionally infused into an object, or if something comes into contact with extremely strong grace, then it can happen unintentionally,” Sam said.

“What would something like that even be?” Dean asked.

“It could be many things,” Cas said, “An object that was even touched by Jesus could be infused with grace.”

“Oh, that’s great,” Dean said, “Let me go get my napkin that I had Jesus sign when I ran into him at the bar yesterday.”

“You went to the bar?” Castiel asked.

Dean cleared his throat, “Speaking of bars, when we staked out that cupid and got her bow, wasn’t that an object imbued with grace?”

“Yes, I suppose it is, as it is a part of an angel,” Cas said.

“Well, maybe we can ask another cupid,” Dean said, “That last one seemed willing to help.”

Cas shifted uncomfortably, “After the way things turned out last time, I do not feel comfortable with asking another cupid for their bow.”

“It’s alright, Cas,” Sam said, “I’ll do it.”

 

As Sam sat at a booth in the back of the bar, he contemplated how these things always seemed to start in bars. He thought about the night after he and Dean had escaped Gabriel’s TV land. Sam had been restless, so he’d sat in a little dive just like this one. He’d been on his fourth beer when, from beside him, someone said, “He’s right.”

Sam had turned and seen Gabriel sitting on the previously empty stool next to him. He turned away again and said, “Yeah.”

“How do you do it?” Gabriel asked.

“Do what?” Sam said.

“Stand up to your family.”

“What makes you think I know?”

“You left your family, went off to Stanford,” Gabriel said, “You walked away from the life. How did you do it?”

Sam laughed bitterly, “I was being selfish, Gabriel. That’s all.”

From the corner of his eye he saw Gabriel shiver, and gave him a puzzled look. Gabriel snapped and another beer appear. He took a drink and said, “I’m not used to hearing that name.”

With a sigh, Sam said, “Look, I know what it’s like to want the fighting to stop, and to want to run as far away as you can. But you can’t run from family, Gabriel, and dragging other people into your problems just makes things worse.”

“Like with Jess?” Gabriel asked.

Sam tensed, then took a drink of his beer and forced himself to relax, “Yeah, like that.”

Now he watched as a young man walked up to a pair sitting at the bar. He talked to them for a minute, then placed a hand on each of their shoulders. As he walked off, the pair turned and look amorously at each other. Sam stood and follow the young man that had touched them. He caught up with him out in the dark parking lot.

“Hey,” he called.

The man stopped and turned, giving him a suspicious look, “You’re Sam Winchester.”

“Yeah,” Sam said, “Do you mind if I talk to you for a minute?”

“Okay,” the cupid said. Sam tried to explain the spell and the need for an object imbued with grace as carefully as he could, but the cupid seemed tenser by the moment, “And what does this have to do with me?” he asked.

“Your bow,” Sam said, “It’s imbued with grace.”

“Yes,” he said, “And as much as I would like to believe in this spell of yours, that an archangel would come back and save us all, I cannot. The last cupid that gave away her bow helped to cast the angels out of Heaven.” He started to walk off, “Besides, I never liked those egotistical archangels anyways.”

Sam grabbed him and threw him against the wall, “Shut up. Gabriel was better than that. All he wanted was for Heaven to go one day without…” Sam swallowed hard, “All he wanted was for his family to love one another.”

The cupid searched Sam’s face and said, “Love, yes… I can see a lot of that in you, Sam.”


	3. The Feather

“How’d it go?” Dean called as Sam walked in.

“I got it,” he said.

“Really?” Dean looked surprised, “Did you have to rough him up, or what?”

“No,” Sam said as he placed the box with the bow in it on the table.

Kevin smirked and hit Dean on the arm, “Come on, pay up.” Dean rolled his eyes, but fished out his wallet and handed Kevin a wad of cash.

“So what’s the next trial?” Sam asked.

Putting the money into his pocket, Kevin said, “This one could be tricky. We have to have an item that belonged to Gabriel.”

“No problem,” Sam said. They all looked at him in surprise. He ignored them and went into his room. When he returned, he was carrying a long, thin, wooden box. He slide the lid off and pushed the box into the middle of the table for them all to see.

Cas inhaled sharply, “That’s…”

“No way,” Dean said.

“Is that a…” Kevin said as he reached forward. Cas grabbed his arm at the same moment Sam pulled the box away.

“You should not touch it,” Cas said.

“Why? Is it dangerous?” Kevin asked.

“No,” Dean said, “It’s just not for you.”

 

A few days after he’d been at the bar Sam prayed to Gabriel for the first time. It was short and to the point, just letting him know what was going on. At the end, he said, “I hope you’re doing alright.” He didn’t know why he said it, other than maybe he sympathized with Gabriel, could remember when he’d felt the same way about his own family.

The next day, he found new jacket in his bag. It said STANFORD on it. He’d smiled, then buried it at the bottom of his bag so Dean wouldn’t see. Soon after, he prayed again, and the next day, he found a single shoe on his bedside table. It looked familiar, and he spent a few minutes looking at it, trying to place it. Finally, it struck him that it was the shoe he had lost when he and Dean had worked the rabbit’s foot case. He spent the next few minutes cracking up. When he finally got himself together, he put the shoe in the bag with the jacket.

It went on like that for a while. He would pray to Gabriel almost every day, and the next day he would find some small thing Gabriel had left for him. Until, one day, he prayed, and the next he didn’t find anything anywhere. He was somewhat disappointed, figuring Gabriel had grown tired of it all. When he went to bed that night, he didn’t pray. In the middle of the night, he woke up to something tickling his nose.

Sitting up, he could vaguely see something in his lap. He picked it up and went into the motel bathroom so he could see. When he had closed the door, he turned the light on and went completely still. In his hand, he was holding a feather. It was golden and shone brightly, not from the dim, dingy bathroom light, but from within. It was nearly the length of his forearm, and weighed almost nothing. He held his breath, and maybe that was why he heard the sound of feathers.  
He turned to see Gabriel standing behind him. The archangel smiled, “Hey Sammy.”

“It’s Sam,” he said out of habit.

Gabriel stepped closer, just inches from him, and softly said, “Sam.”

Sam shivered, “Is this yours?” He asked, indicating the feather.

He looked at Sam like he was an idiot, “I missed you tonight.”

Looking away, Sam said, “I missed you today.”

Gabriel ran a hand up Sam’s stomach, then fisted his hand in his shirt and pulled him forward until he could press their lips together. They kissed until Sam needed to breathe, and when they parted, Sam said, “This is insane.”

“The apocalypse is happening and you think a little man on man action is insane?” Gabriel said.

“No,” Sam replied, “But this isn’t man on man action. It’s man on archangel, and that’s weird.”

“Lucifer is trying to take over your body and this is weird?” Gabriel said, and kissed Sam again. They parted, and he said, “Stop thinking about it, Sam.”

Sam pulled back, and Gabriel’s face fell. He gently put the feather on the bathroom counter, then turned to Gabriel again, “Gabe,” he said, and, holding his face with both of his hands, he kissed him again and again, late into the night.


	4. Elysian Fields

The feather was dull now. It had taken a long time for Sam to open that box again after Gabriel died, and when he did, he was shattered to find that it had lost its luster, the grace having dispersed when Gabriel died. Sam swallowed hard, blinking fast, “This will work, right?”

“Well, yeah, it was definitely his right?” Kevin said. Sam nodded.

“Good,” Dean said, “That takes care of the second trial then. What’s the third one?”

Kevin looked down at the page he had been translating the angel tablet onto, “You have to find a pure vessel for the archangel to inhabit.”

“Pure vessel? Like a virgin or something?” Dean asked, “I really don’t think we should be putting Gabriel into a virgin.”

“It could be a virgin,” Cas said, “Or a holy man.”

“A priest?” Sam asked, and Cas nodded.

“And just like with any other angelic vessel, he has to be willing,” Kevin said.

“Great,” Dean said, “That means we just have to convince a priest to give his body over to an archangel.”

“Yeah, and it’ll probably kill him,” Kevin said.

Dean ran a hand over his face, “Wonderful.”

 

They had driven all day to get to Father Simon, and arrived at dusk. He had helped them during their investigation on how to cure a demon. Tonight, he had sat them down in front of the fire and was currently getting them tea. Bringing in the tray, he gave them each a mug and asked, “So what’s this all about?”

“Well, Father,” Dean said, “We’ve come to ask for your help, but you need to know some things first.” Dean started to explain everything about how they had almost cured a demon and closed the gates of Hell, how the angels had fallen, and how the archangels had been killed. Sam didn’t listen to most of it. He stared at the fire, and remembered the last time he had seen Gabriel.

 

They were at the Elysian Fields Hotel and Sam was alone in the room, having left Dean at the all you can eat bar. Gabriel arrived with the sound of wings, “Sam.”

Sam stood, “Gabriel,” he moved at though to kiss him, but Gabriel stopped him.

“Sam, you’re in danger,” he said.

“What?”

“This place is a trap,” Gabriel said, “The other gods, the ones from mythologies around the world, they’ve lured you here to try to gain leverage over my brothers.”

“I knew this place was too good to be true,” Sam said, “I told Dean to keep driving.”

“Good call, but it’s already too late. Kali, she has your blood, you can’t leave.”

“What should we do?” Sam asked.

Gabriel cleared his throat and looked away, “I have history with Kali, so that’ll give me an in. I’ll do what I can to get your blood back. Then we can get out of here.”

“History?” Sam said.

“Sam…” Gabriel said with a pleading tone.

“Gabe,” Sam wrapped his arms around him, “It’s fine. I’ve had history with people too. It’s no big deal, especially considering you’ve been around longer.”

“Wow, that was unexpected,” Gabriel said. Sam kissed him, and when they parted, Gabriel continued, “Oh, and by the way, don’t expect me to be so understanding if we ever run into someone you have history with.”

Sam just chuckled, “I know Gabe. Now can we please get started? Who knows when Dean will be back.”

“What? Are you afraid he’ll walk in on us like last time?” Gabriel asked.

“That was not a good way for him to find out about us, Gabe. He’s still pissed. You should have told me he was coming.”

“Please, the things you were doing, the only one who was coming was me.”

“Not funny, Gabe.”

“Calm down, a fresh apple pie and ice cream just showed up on the buffet. He’ll be gone for a while,” Gabriel said and pulled Sam in, undoing his pants.

As he and Dean drove away from that hotel, Sam felt numb thinking about Gabriel lying on the floor, his wings scorched onto the ground. Dean had tried to apologize, but he wouldn’t hear it. He couldn’t hear anything but Lucifer in his head, laughing.

 

“That’s horrible,” Father Simon said, “I’d like to help. Just tell me what you need.”

“We’re trying to bring back one of the archangels,” Dean said, “Maybe you’ve heard of him? Gabriel. We’re hoping he can straighten things out. But in order for that to happen, he needs a vessel, and it has to be someone pure.”

Father Simon didn’t blink, “Someone like a priest.” Dean nodded, and Father Simon continued, “Son, I’ve had people ask me to move mountains before. Things that I could never do, like cure a loved one of cancer, or ensure that someone who had passed away got into Heaven. It’s nice to finally be asked to do something I’m capable of.”


	5. The Vessel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some other stuff, then some smut.

Setting up the spell was simple enough. Father Simon stood in center of a sigil they’d drawn on the ground, and they poured holy oil into a bowl and lit it. Kevin began reciting the incantation, and at his signal, Dean dropped the cupid’s bow into the fire. It burned up as Kevin kept on reading. Finally, it came time for Sam to put Gabriel’s feather into the fire. He hesitated, but took a deep breath and threw it in. More words were spoken in Latin, then Kevin said, “Gabriel.”

The room filled with a white light and a high pitched noise, like an angel screaming. They covered their ears and squeezed their eyes shut, falling to their knees. Once it stopped, they stood and looked at Father Simon, who still stood in the center of the sigil, but his eyes were closed. When he opened them, his eyes were white and shining. Sam didn’t realize he said, “Gabriel,” but he must have heard him. Those glowing eyes latched onto him, and Sam shivered. The next moment, Gabriel was on him, kissing him hard.

Sam let himself be kissed, but pulled away early. Gabriel looked hurt, and Sam said, “No, it’s… uh, well, you look like Father Simon, so it’s a little weird.”

Gabriel looked down at himself, then back at Sam, “A priest, really?”

“It’s what the spell called for,” Kevin said.

His eyes snapped over to him, “You’re a prophet,” Gabriel said. Kevin just nodded. When he looked back at Sam, he could see the confusion in Gabriel’s eyes, “I died, but you brought me back.” He nodded, and Gabriel continued, “How long was I gone?”

Sam choked. He couldn’t tell Gabriel how long he was gone, how he had moved on, or how he had been with other people while he was dead. The shame he felt overwhelmed him, and he looked away. Dean said, “About three years.”

Gabriel just nodded, then snapped his fingers. Sam looked up to see Gabriel looking the way he had before he died, Father Simon’s face gone. Tears gathered in Sam’s eyes, so he swallowed hard and looked away. Gabriel turned to Dean, “Why don’t you guys give us a minute.” The others left them alone in the back room.

“I’m sorry,” Sam started.

Gabriel grabbed him and pulled him down, smashing their lips together, and kissed Sam until he couldn’t breathe. Parting, Sam tried to repeat his apology, but Gabriel cut him off, “There’ll be time for you to tell me everything later, Sammy.” He reached down and rubbed Sam, already half hard, through his pants, and Sam pushed himself into his palm, not having done this since Amelia.

With a snap, they were both naked, and Sam laughed, “I’ve missed that.”

Gabriel smirks, “And I’ve missed that,” he said, and grabbed Sam. They fumbled for a few minutes. Gabriel summoned up some lube and Sam prepped him quickly. Neither of them were in control of themselves, and they rutted against each other furiously, until Gabriel whispered, “In, Sammy.”

Sam picked him up, pushing him up against the wall, and he wrapped his legs around Sam’s waist. Without hesitation, Sam thrust into him in one quick movement. They moved together, and Sam reached down to grab Gabriel, stroking in time to his thrusts, until they were both lying in a sticky mess on the floor.

“I love you, Samster,” Gabriel whispered.

Sam smiled down at him, “I love you, too, Gabe.” Suddenly, Gabriel tensed, making Sam freeze in the act of leaning down to kiss him, “What?”

Gabriel puts a hand to his forehead, and when he pulls away, he was wearing a look of such hurt and sadness that Sam’s throat closed up, and he couldn’t say anything, “You’re allowing an angel inside you?” Gabriel said.

Knitting it eyebrows, Sam almost shouted, “What?”


	6. The Goodbye

“Dean!” Kevin, Dean, and Cas jumped in their seats.

Dean sprang to his feet, “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“When were you going to tell me there was an angel inside me?” Sam said.

“You did not tell him Ezekiel is within him?” Cas asked.

“I was going to tell you when you didn’t need him, Sammy,” Dean said, “Right now, he’s the only thing keeping you alive. He’s the only reason you’re alive at all.”

“You were dying?” Gabriel asked.

“Yeah, after the trials, Sam just about bit it,” Dean said.

“What trials?” Gabriel said.

“The ones to close the gates of Hell,” Kevin said, “I got it off of the demon tablet.”

“Except I stopped Sam at the last minute because he was going to die,” Dean said, “But then he was dying anyways. Then Metatron tricked Cas into completing the trials that forced all the angels to fall from Heaven, and Ezekiel needed a new vessel and Sam needed to stay alive.”

“You had no right to-” Sam started.

“I did the best I could!” Dean shouted. Everyone went silent, “Damnit, Sammy, I was not going to lose you again. I couldn’t let you down like that again, so I did what I thought was right. And Ezekiel, he’s a good guy, right Cas?”

Cas nodded, “Ezekiel is a good warrior.”

“Once you’re better, Sammy, and Ezekiel has regained his powers, then he’ll leave,” Dean said.

“He’s leaving now,” Gabriel said, “I’ll heal Sam, and return Ezekiel's powers, but I want him out now. Sam is mine, and I don't share.”

“Okay, fine,” Dean said a little awkwardly.

After Gabriel had healed him and Ezekiel had been ejected from his body, Sam went to lay down. Gabriel came up to sit beside Castiel, “The prophet told me that you were tricked into forcing the angels out of Heaven by the scribe, Metatron. He says your grace was stolen, and that you’re human now.”

“That’s true,” Castiel said.

Gabriel sighed, “Everything is a mess, and now I have to fix it. Me, the lost brother, I’m supposed to make everything right again.”

“I’m sorry. It is much to ask,” Cas said, “But Heaven needs you. I am sorry that it means you will have to part with Sam for a time, considering you have just been reunited.”

“It’s always hard leaving Sam, even when I haven’t been dead for years,” Gabriel said, “But it’s got to be done. The faster I get it over with, the sooner I can come back.”

“You will never be completely free of your duties, now that you are the last of the archangels.”

“I know, but at least once Heaven is back in order, I’ll be able to keep it nine to five.”

Cas nodded, “I hope you are right.”

“Look, little bro,” Gabriel said, “If you want, before I go, I can give you your grace back, make you an angel again.”

Castiel looked across the room at Dean, who was talking with Kevin, and said, “No, I believe I am fine the way I am.”

Gabriel looked surprised, “You sure?”

“Yes,” Cas said, “I am happy being human, and being with Dean. I would like to grow old with him. I do not want to wake up some day, the same, and watch Dean die.”

Chuckling, Gabriel said, “We really know how to pick them, don’t we?”

“I believe we could have asked for nothing better.”

 

The next day, they all stood together in the library. Dean mumble a quick, “G’bye,” and stalked off into the other room.

Kevin shook Gabriel’s hand and said, “It was nice to meet you.”

“The pleasure was all mine, kid,” Gabriel replied, then turned to Cas, “Take care of them, little brother. And take care of yourself, too. Human lives are short.”

“Thank you, I will,” Cas said, and he and Kevin left Sam and Gabriel alone.

They stood in silence for a minute, until Gabriel said, “Sorry I have to run out on you again, kiddo.” His voice was thick, as though he might cry at any moment.

“No, Gabe,” Sam said, in just as bad of shape, “I knew this was how it was going to be, and I wanted to do it anyways. I don’t regret it, or anything between us.”

“This isn’t goodbye,” Gabriel said, “I’ll be back, and when I am…” he pulled Sam to him, running his hands over his ass, “The things I’m going to do to you.”

Sam chuckled, “I love you, Gabe.”

“Love you, too, Sammy,” they kissed, hard at first, but then softer, until their lips were connected by only the faintest of touches. Gabriel whispered again his lips, “I’m coming back, Sam.”

Then he was gone, and Sam’s arms were empty and cold.


End file.
